Summary
We report on five studies that have examined the impact of delirium on outcome following
hip fracture. Patients with delirium appear to have diminished physical functioning
initially and up to two years following hip fracture compared with those without delirium,
and may have longer hospital stays. Whether mortality is associated with the presence
of delirium is unclear; however, some evidence suggests that severe compared with
mild delirium is associated with 3- to 4-fold risk of a combined outcome of nursing
home placement or death.
